Emma Bryce

President

Emma is passionate about bridging the gap between agricultural production and environmental stewardship. Her professional and academic experiences are grounded in sustainable agriculture and ecological practices. Her work focuses on developing community-based sustainable food systems that empower communities, support local farmers, and enhance food security. Emma is the Food-Self Sufficiency Lead for Kanaka Bar Indian Band, and is an agri-ecological consultant working with growers and communities to identify systems and tools to enhance the ecological value and biodiversity of their operations. She believes that sustainable practices not only improve the health of the land but also foster resilient communities.

Marissa Heppner

Vice President

Marissa is a Registered Professional Fisheries Biologist working in the environmental consulting industry. Growing up with Vedder Mountain and Vedder River in her backyard, Marissa’s lifelong passion for nature was cultivated at an early age. Motivated by a desire to give back to the community and the natural world, Marissa contributes both professional expertise and personal interest as a FVC volunteer board member. Residing on a small property near Lindell Beach, Marissa remains deeply connected to the preservation of natural beauty and biodiversity of the Fraser Valley for future generations and aims to continue growing this connection to support the Conservancy’s missions.

John Vissers

Treasurer

John has been a resident of Abbotsford for over 30 years, and is well-known throughout the valley for his tireless dedication to protecting the environment. In addition to serving on the FVC board for the past 10 years, he is the past chair of the Abbotsford Environmental Advisory Committee and currently serves on the Abbotsford Development Advisory Committee. His commitment to the environment has earned him the Order of Abbotsford, the Queen’s Jubilee Medal, as well as the Rotary Paul Harris Fellowship. He lives on a rural property on Sumas Mountain where he appreciates the natural values of his surroundings.

Jillian Stewart

Secretary

Jillian is currently a Biologist with the Seabird Island Band in Agassiz. She completed her diploma and undergraduate degree at BCIT and has worked in government, private sector, and NGO’s completing tasks in fisheries monitoring, habitat restoration, environmental monitoring, fish and wildlife salvages, and biological sampling. She enjoys camping, boating, swimming, volunteering, and wildlife photography. She grew up recreating in the Fraser Valley and is happy to call this area home now and contribute her efforts to the FVC as a board member.

Amanda Miller

Amanda is a Registered Professional Biologist with nine years of experience in fish and aquatic ecology as an environmental consultant. She resides in Abbotsford with her husband and two young boys and, in her position as an FVC board member, is excited to support conservation work in and around her community. She enjoys brushing up on her local plant identification skills during nature walks with her family. Amanda holds a bachelor’s degree in Ecological Restoration and a diploma in Renewable Resources – Fish, Wildlife and Recreation.

Bruno Jury

Bruno is a real estate entrepreneur with a special interest in sustainable development & conservation. He has more than 20 years’ experience in construction and real estate development industries.  He holds a Professional Engineer designation with Engineers BC and a MBA from the European Business School in London, UK.

As an avid hiker and nature lover, Bruno is always looking for ways to contribute to conservation and enhancement of the natural habitat. His experience in the private sector developer community brings unique perspectives to the challenges faced with the constant pressure to develop new properties. His purpose in life is to get people living in harmony with nature!

Tracey Whitman

Tracey has lived her entire life in the biodiverse Fraser Valley and has a life-long interest in all things “wild”. While she spent 33 years working as a Registered Nurse, she spent much of her free time exploring the flora and fauna wherever she travelled. She is a patient observer and has been known to sit for hours, bird watching, or even watching a spider build its web. She is passionate about re-wilding and knows that even small projects can make a difference to wildlife.  Over the past few years, she has been planting native plant species and has enjoyed seeing a greater abundance of species visiting her gardens. She is excited to learn and collaborate with the like-minded folks at the Fraser Valley Conversancy, with the goal of creating more community awareness and involvement while advancing important conservation goals.

Harley Gordon

Harley, a professor of plant biology at the University of the Fraser Valley, holds a PhD in Forest Biology and an MSc in Agriculture. With a long-standing dedication to environmental advocacy, conservation, and biology, Harley brings both expertise and fervor to the Fraser Valley Conservancy. His research delves into the microscopic world, exploring how plants and fungi utilize various molecules to adapt to their environments. An avid outdoor enthusiast, he can often be found hiking, climbing, hunting, or skiing in the Coast Mountains.